Corn popper



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Nov, 25, 1924.`

, F. H. QBERscHMlDT CORN PoPPER n Filed Jan. 17.1924

Nov. 25, 1924. 1,516,782 i H. OBERSCHMIDT CORN POPPER Filed Jan. 17. 1924 2 sneeze-sheen 2 Arme/vsn Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

UNITED] STA*'rfizSy FREDERICK H. OBERSCHMIDTV, or EAsTI CLEVELAND, '01110. 'i

- i COR-N Perriner Application'led January 17, 15524;l I`Seria1,No...686,y824.

continuously agitated by the revolution of the drum, and the popped corn being separated from the unpopped corn by a screen which forms part of the drum structure.

`Theprincipal object of my invention is Y to provide an improved rotary corn-pepper, adapted to household use, fand. of such ef` ficiency and compact form that' it ycan kbe used upon the Vdining room' table orsid'e-4 board, or in the living roomy for the preparation of freshly popped corn at the' moment it is desired. Other objects of my .invention are: to provide a portable corn-popper embodying a heating element so that it does not require a stove or'other separate source of heat for'its operation; to provide a cornpopper of improved construction that can be used without danger of igniting surrounding materials, or the supporty upon whichv it is placed; to provide acorn-pop# per which kcan be readily charged with unpopped corn and which will automatically deliver the popped ycorn into aconveniently placed receptacle; to providev acorn-popper which can be readily emptied of its contents when desired; to provide a corn-popper in which the revoluble drum is a unitary structure which can be readily and quickly removed from its'support and away from the heating element; to provide a corn-popper of such construction that the revoluble drum canbe removed from and replaced upon its support withoutv the use of any tools or special attachments; to provide a corn-popkper which can be readily cleaned; to provide an improved form of screen for separating.

the poppedV from the unpopped corn; and to provide a corn-pepper in which the revolublev drum is supported at one end only lupon the stationary supporting frame, the iother end of the revolublev drum being provided` with a discharge openingwhich at nor point in its revolution is obstructed by any part of the supporting frame.

7The foregoing and kother objects are complished by the useof my invention, a preferred embodiment of which is described herein and shown on the accompanying drawings in which PATENTOFFICE. f g

v Fig. l is an elevation of' my invention looking at the discharge end; K

Fig. 2 is a sectionv on line IIe-II of 3; Fig, 3 isy a section ron line III'III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 14 is a Section on line iv-ivpf Fig.

l 4 n f v n Fig.'5 is a section online V-V of Fig. 2; Fig.y 6 is a top plan view of my invention; Fig. 7 isan end elevation of my invention looking aty the drum support yand operating Crank; c

Fig.' 8 fispa section drawn to an renlarged scale on 'line VIIIe-VIII of Fig. 7; and

""Firg.. 9 is a development of the popped corn screen` and discharge chute.

Referring'to thedrawings, 1 is the stationary elementfand 2-is the revoluble drum. The stationary element, l, comprises pref,- er'ably a sheet-metal base, adapted to carry thev heating element such as the electric heating element, 3, which is incorporated in,

or carried byarefractory, insulating supn port, Liz-,and'suitalole bearing supports for theshaft of the revoluble drum, 2. The

stationary element `preferably -is made of pressed-metal,`-the body portion, 5, of which is provided with legs', 6, which support the body portion, 5, and the heating element,3,

sufficiently abovey the tablefor "otherfsupport p upon which'the corn-popper maybe placed, to prevent the heat ofthe heating element fromr igniting or scorching it.

Thev body, 5, of the stationary element is preferably made ofrk hollow,vv open-top, box

- form, so thatit will catch any dustthat may be shaken from the corn, especially any particles that may be ignitedby the heating element.` The heating element, 3, preferablyis disposed belw the drum, 2, on one side of the vertical plane of the vaxis of thedruln.y l

On the other sideof this central, longitudinal vertical plane they bottom of body, 5, may have an opening and a chute,7, may be provided for receiving and discharging into n a receptacle the contents of' the revoluble To one end of the body, 5, of the station-y ary element, 1, therev are secured, preferably detachably, the kupwardly extending bearing standards of supports, 9 andA 10, for the revoluble drum.r The supporting members, 9 and 19, preferably are made yof fiat, sheetmetal strips, detachably held in a pocket formed between the side of thebody, 5, and a metal stamping or cover plate'11, secured thereto. n n

-The members 9 and 10, are secured vtogether at their lower ends but are spaced apart vat their upper ends, the inner one, 9, `being provided with a vertical open-top slot, 12,.while the outer member, 10, is provided With an L-shaped or bayonet joint slot, 13, open at one side but closed at! its top. The drum, 2, is provided With a shaft, 14, which, in the preferred form of my invention shown, is bent in the form of a crank as seen in Fig. 6. The shaft, 14, is

' revolubly seated inthe slots in the support,

9 and 10. The front end, 15, of the body, 5, is preferably cut away lat the top, vand an apron, 16, may be provided belovzthe cuta way portionto catch the popped corn'vvh'ich falls from the rotating drum and guide it into a suitable receptacle. H f

The body member, 5, preferably is made large enough so that the drum, 2, maybe inserted into it by placing the shaft, 14, in the open-top slot, v12, of the supporting member, 9, and tipping the drum-as shown by the dotted outline inFig. 3, so that the shaft, 14. may Venter the L-shaped slot, 18, after whichv the. drum may be Vtipped into the vertical, operating position as shown in full lines in Figs. Scand 7. This construction requires' no tools of any sort-for putting together ortalring apart, and it facilitates cleaning the corn-popper- It alsopermits the corn-popper to be packed advantageously vand safelyin a smallcarton. v

rilhe drum, 2, is preferably made of two sheet-metal end plates, 17, 18, and a `perforated oravire-mesh cylindrical side portion or shell, 19, secured to the end plates by interfolding their edges or other manner. The shaft.' 14, may be provided with an en larged collar,y20, and may be secured detachably or non-detachably to they end plate, '17, by any convenient vmeans for supporting and rotating the drum. f

. AThe end plate, 18, has an opening, 30, near its center, out of which the popped corn 1s V discharged While the drum is rotating. This vopeningk is at the end of the drum opposite the crank-shaft, 14, and is entirely unobstructed.

It will be seen'that the drum isrevolubly land detachably supported upon the stationary element above the heating element and isv supported in overhanging'relation to itsk supports so as to leave the discharge opening unobstructed.

lVithin the drum, 2, is secured a spiral screen member, 21, for the popped corn.

'Meinberg 21, is preferably formed out of stamped sheet-metal, provided with lateral tangs, 22, adapted to be inserted through small, Aslotflike apertures in the endplates, 17 and 1S, and to be secured by bending them over in well known manner. The screen portion of the member, 21, preferably has alternate slots, 23, and bars, 24, they slots being Wide enough to permit the unpopped corn but not the,y popped corn to fall through them. The ends of the screen, 21, preferably are left unslotted and imperforatek to provide an apron, 25, over the clean-out opening, 27; and to providea conical discharge chute, 26, at the inner end ofthe screen for discharging the poppedy corn through the opening, 30, in end plate, 18.

y rl`he screenportion of member, 21, is vcylindrical and the chute portion, 26, is conical to provide respectively for the separation` and for the discharge of the popped 'I i corn. A development of member, l21, is shown ,in Fig. 9.

The side or shell portion, 19, of the drum circleand `its ends are spaced apart to provide a circumferential, clean-out opening, 27, bounded by the end plates, 17 and 18and the ends, 22 andl 29, of the member, 19. "It

ico

preferably falls short' of being a complete unpopped corn which falls through .the

screen Will fall upon the inner surfacey of rthe shell, 19, at the other side of the clean-out opening, 27. It will be observed that if the drum be rotated in the reverse direction, its entire'contents will travel around the drum in ,the reverse direction from that followed Whenfthedrumk is rotating normally, and ivill be discharged eventually through opening, 27, intothe'hollow body, 5, and chute, 7.

Thesurface yof the conical chute portion, 26.of thescreen, 21, is so inclined that the popped corn' which is picked up by the popped corn that may arrive atthe end, 25,y 2l, will fall'through the slots, y

ofthe screen. 23,- mto the drum, -and again be subjected the heating action of the heating element, 3,7

so long asthe drum, 2, is rotated inthe cornpopping direction. y n n `The support, 4, of the heatingelement, 3', is preferably made of porcelain, and it may have suitableperforationsl'toV receive the binding'posts, v31 and A312, for lthey electrical conductors, 33 and 34, which convey current f tothe heating element. y v

The operation. of my invention isr as followszThe unpopped corn may beput4 into the drum, 2, through either of .the` openings, 27er 30. A'Ihe drum being mounted upon' its supportsand n he heatingelement being energized7 he `i suoli aspeed that the kunpopped lcorn is car-V red up the Vascending side ofthe A the inclined heating element. l/Vhen the corn has beencariied to facertain height the inclination of the side ofthe drum causes the corn to roll down towards the bottom of the drumk and it thus travels around lthe drum in a direction relatively opposite to the rotation ofthe drum. Both the popped and unpopped corn are thus made to progress around the inner surface of the drum until they arrive at the screen, 21, through which the corn which remains unpopped falls upon the shell, 19, while theipopped corn Whichis too large to pass through the slots, 23, .passes over the screen and is discharged through opening 30, by chute, 26.

It will be observed thatxmy invention accomplishes the above stated objects; thatl it is susceptible to ornamental design; is

small and compact for household use; and tliatit may be manufactured at low cost.

1. In a corn-popper, a stationary element, a heating element carried by said stationary element, a single revoluble drum supported at one end only, and tiltable relatively to the stationary element and heating element,

- supporting means carried by said stationary element, and a shaft secured to said drum extendin outwardly from one end thereof and revo ubly and detachably mounted on said supporting means.

2. In a corn-popper, a stationary element, a heating element carried by said stationary element, a single revoluble drum supported at one end only and tiltable relatively to the stationary element and heating element, supporting means for said drum carried by said stationary element, and a shaft secured to said drum extending outwardly from one end thereof revolubly and detachably drum containing a quantity, of unpopped corn is continuously rotated at drum overy together.

'oil

mounted in ybearings iny said supporting means to support 'said drum 5in y over-hanging y relation ltosai'd bearings. l

` 3. In a corn-popper, a revoluble element comprising'a drum havinga shell, Ithe ends of the vshell `being spacedl apart tol vform a clean-out opening, yand a screen.memberconnecting with oneend 'of ysaid shell and cx*- tending spirally inwardly therefrom towards the'eenterjof said' druinand terminating atits inner y end in a conical portion, a. portion of said. screen member intermediate its ends being slotted longitudinally tio permit'un w popped corn: ,to fall therethrough comprising` a drum l4L'. In a' ycornfpoppe'r, a revoluble element y i having a cylindricalY shell the ends of the Ishell being spacedsapaift to'forfm ai,clean-outopening,` and a? screen member connecting 1 with onejvend Tof 'said' shell and extendingfspirally inwardlytherefrom inthe fornifof'a cylinder towards the centerofsaidfdrum andztermin'ating at itsy inner'endpin a conical-portion, said'sc-reen i member having yimperforatey end portions and its intermediate I portion lbeing slottedvr longitudinally withya plurality 'of slots alter t nating with vvlongitudinal Screen bars.

5. In a `cornpopp`er,.a Vrevolubleelement comprising a drum having end plates and a shell, the ends ofg the shell being spaced apart acv to form ak clean-out opening, and a screen member; connecting with one end of said shell and extending spirally inwardly therefrom. towards the center ofsaid drum ,and terminating at kits inner end' in a conical porv tion, said end plates having 'slots and `said n screenl member having laterally extending tangs extending through said slots and bent over to secure said screen -and said'r plates y6. In a corn-popper, a stationary element, a heating element carried by said stationary element, a single revoluble drum supported and one end only and tiltable 'relatively to the stationary element and heating element and having a discharge opening at one end, a shaft secured to Said drum and extendin outwardly from the other end thereof, and a supportffor said drum adapted to receive said shaft and support said drum in overhanging relation to said support.

7. In a corn-popper, a supporting base, a single revoluble drum supported at one end only mounted on said base, and tiltable ment mounted on said base below said drum `atone side of the vertical plane of the axis of said drum, said base having an opening. below said drum at the other side of said plane, said drum having .a discharge open-` ingfor popped corn in one end and a cleanout opening in its shell. r

t r9. In a corn-popper, a `stationary elementl comprising a base, a pair of bearing stand-4 ards extending upward from one end of'sa'id base,` said bearing standards being Vspaced apartkat their upper ends the one nearer to the base having an open-top slot and the i `other `an L-shaped open-sided, -closed-top heating element in overhanging relation to,

. saidbearing standards. f

10. In a corn-popper, a kstationary element comprising a base, a drum support vat one end only of said base7 said support comt prising a bearing consisting of a vertical slot and a cooperating bayonet slot,` a heating element carried by said base; and atiltable drum Supported at one end onlyk having a shaft revolubly and detachably mounted in said support. Y

11. In acorn-poppen' a stationary element compmsm' end of sai base, and a heating element carried by' said base; and a revoluble drum comprising two end plates and a shell, one of said end plates having a discharge opening for popped corn, said shell having its ends spaced apart tol form a circumferential', clean-out opening, a screen member connecting with one end ofl said shell, and extending spirally inwardly therefrom and terminating at its inner end in a conical portion, onefend of said conical portion being pre` sented to said discharge' opening and the sides of saidconical portion being inclined towards said discharge opening, and a shaft secured'to said drum, said shaft beingrevolulolykk mounted in said drum` support whereby 'said drum is supported above said heating' elelnentvin overhanging relation to said drum support.

FREDERiCK oBERsoHMIDT.

a bases a drum support at oney 

